The present invention generally relates to the field of computer networks. A network is a distributed communication system of computers comprising user terminals and at least one server, the computers of which are interconnected by various electronic communication links and computer software protocols. A particularly well-known network is the internet. The internet is a world-wide network whose electronic resources include among others text files, graphic files in various formats, world-wide-web pages, etc. The scheme for denotation of an electronic resource on the internet is an electronic address which uniquely identifies its location within the network and within the computer in which it resides. On the internet such an electronic address is called URL (universal resource locator).
The present invention is particularly concerned with so-called IRC (internet relay chat) servers. The internet relay chat is an application providing for a communication of a plurality of user terminals. All over the world more than a hundred IRC-servers do exist, which are connected with each other and which can share information with each other. As IRC is a distributed system, the user is only communicating with the server closest to his terminal. IRC is subdivided in so-called channels. Each channel has its name representing usually the theme of the discussion. When communicating with the IRC protocol the users usually use nicknames. The nickname becomes visible for the other users as soon as another user is entering a channel. All messages communicated according to the IRC protocol are accompanied by the nicknames. However, according to the IRC protocol this nickname can have a maximum length of nine characters and has to be unique in one IRC session. Obviously, the limitation of the maximum length of a nickname according to the IRC protocol to nine characters is a disadvantage. With nine characters it usually is not very easy to constitute a nickname having a good mnemonic effect.
Therefore, the present invention has the object to enable the usage of nicknames with more than nine characters when communicating with an IRC server.
This object is achieved by means of the features of the independent claims.
According to the present invention therefore a communication method for a network comprising at least one server and a plurality of user terminals is provided. The user terminals thereby can communicate with each other by means of an IRC server. According to the present invention a command from a user terminal is sent to a converting means together with a sender address, which can have more than nine characters. The sender address is converted into a code with a maximum number of nine characters. Then an IRC command is sent to the IRC server together with a code having a maximum number of nine characters.
A converting means can contact a session manager to get the code with a maximum number of nine characters.
The session manager is connected to a session data base containing the addresses of the users logged in, which session data base is stored in an object-oriented approach on a server.
The converting means caches the conversion of a sender address once the session manager had been contacted for the conversion of a corresponding sender address.
By checking access information stored in an access-control data base, an access control for the access to the IRC server can be performed.
The information about the chat channel of the IRC server can be supplied by the converting means.
According to the present invention furthermore a communication network comprising at least one server and a plurality of user terminals is provided. The user terminals can communicate with each other by means of an IRC server. The network comprises a converting means for receiving a command from a user terminal together with a sender address, which sender address can have more than nine characters. The converting means 39 can convert the sender address into a code with a maximum number of nine characters. The converting means then sends an IRC command to the IRC server together with a code having a maximum number of nine characters.
A session manager can be connected to the converting means, wherein the converting means contacts the session manager to get the code with a maximum number of nine characters. The session manager can be connected to a session data base containing the addresses of the users logged in, which session data base is stored in an object-oriented approach on a server.
The converting means can comprise a storage means for caching the conversion of a sender address once the session manager had been contacted for the conversion of a sender address.
An access-control data base can be connected to the converting means to effect an access control for the access to the IRC server by checking access information stored in an access-control data base.
Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will be explained with reference to embodiments of the present invention and the enclosed drawings.